DVD map update costs/restrictions/policy

Does anyone have a ballpark figure of how much an update to a purchased DVD map would be?

I have Europe pre-installed, and, at some point, will purchase the City Navigator North America NT; cost $80.The DVD version is the only one that can be updated, and updating is the only feature that interests me.

How much can I expect to pay for an update? Does the age of the map, or version, affect the price? Meaning, if I wait 4 years after the initial purchase, is the cost greater than an update after 2 years? (With TomTom, it would be.) Are these maps updated yearly for owners of the map-on-DVD? Is it necessary to purchase updates as they become available, and if one doesn't, one cannot update at all?

I agree with Boyd that none of us can predict what will happen with Garmin's map updates 4 years from now. But the "fine print" on Garmin's lifetime map subscription might give you some idea of their current thinking:

If you purchase a nüMaps Lifetime subscription (sold separately) or if your Garmin product comes bundled with a nüMaps Lifetime or other lifetime map subscription, you will receive map data updates when and as such updates are made available on Garmin.com during the useful life of 1 compatible Garmin product or as long as Garmin receives map data from a third party supplier, whichever is shorter. A product’s “useful life” means the period during which the product (a) has sufficient memory capacity and other required technical capabilities to utilize current map data and (b) is capable of operating as intended without major repairs. A product will be deemed to be out of service and its useful life to be ended if no updates have been downloaded for such product for a period of 24 months or more.

...The updates you receive under the subscription will be updates to the same geographic map data originally included with your Garmin product when originally purchased (it is possible to use Lifetime map updates if you purchased a City Navigator® map on DVD and it is used on the same computer you installed the City Navigator maps).

As regards my (seemingly) stupid question regarding the 2 and 4 years from now issue, I wish to show the jury some evidence that I am not (quite) as stupid as I seem. Almost, but not quite.

This was left unsaid in my original post:With TomTom (a world from which I come), if one wishes to update a map pre-installed on a device, TT would charge various prices for such an update. There is no fixed price. The map is 2 years old? The update to the current map costs... The map is 4 years old? It costs...more.And the prices were not published. One needed to have a "personal" contact with TT to get the price.

"...and it is used on the same computer you installed the City Navigator maps."Well, there's another issue.I suppose if one no longer has that computer, one can re-install from the DVD (keep that DVD!!) on the present computer, and go from there.

Again, I think it is Garmin not proofreading their information. I think it should say "same device". I have never purchased a Garmin map on DVD, so I have no first hand experience, but have read posts in several forums about people who applied the lifetime map update to the DVD purchased map. Hopefully someone who has actually done this will chime in here.

I didn't mean to imply that your 4 year question was a dumb question, so I apologize if it came across that way. It is just that after observing Garmin for several years and seeing them take away features that their customers like, I wouldn't try to predict what changes they may make in the future.

I think I understand your question a little better now though. As far as I know, Garmin has never had a price differential for a map update based on the age of the original map.

And:it was Boyd that seemed to think that I starred in the movie, "Dumb and Dumber" :P:D - not you.But as I said, the background for my question was not included, so it could easily have been misunderstood.TT "punishes" people for not updating regularly.

Hey - I really didn't mean any offense. Sorry if it came off that way.

Things have changed a lot in the last couple years though. You can now get the entry level device with lifetime maps and traffic for about $100 USD. I'm not sure if Garmin had even started the Lifetime Maps program in 2009. I'm certain that there were no LMT devices back then, you had to purchase updates separately.

If you look at the current price for one time and lifetime updates, the one time deal is no bargain. But it serves a purpose - I recently bought one for an old nuvi I was giving away.

If I had to look in my crystal ball, I might find that single map purchases wouldn't exist at all in 2017, and everything would be a "subscription". It wouldn't surprise me to see the DVD products vanish completely.

Like I said, I couldn't predict what Garmin will do next, but unless they start bundling street maps with their high-end handhelds like the Oregon and Montana, it seems like they will need to keep City Navigator on DVD as an option. Or maybe they will get rid of the DVD product and sell a downloadable version that is updatable. Who knows?

Or maybe they will get rid of the DVD product and sell a downloadable version that is updatable. Who knows?

That's what I was thinking. There are currently advantages to the DVD vs the download products, but that's intentional on Garmin's part. They could offer the exact same files that you get on the DVD for download.

I just got a DVD of a garmin 24k topo because it is not locked like the download and card versions. But I would have prefered to download if available.

And this was the first time I've purchased any software on DVD in 3 or 4 years. I had forgotten that the DVD drive in my old windows machine was broken.... and my MacBook Air doesn't have a DVD drive. I had an external but gave it to a friend awhile ago since I never used it. Finally I had to install the DVD on my old Mac laptop, then copy the files over to my Windows Machine that I use for mapping. At least Garmin's .gmap format makes that easy. :lol:

In preparation to my purchasing the map on DVD, I contacted Garmin support.Here is their reply: (emphasis mine)

"The lifetime map update for North America is compatible with the DVD version of the City Navigator North America NT mapping product.You are not required to purchase both simultaneously. If you wish, you can first buy the DVD to equip your navigation device with North American mapping, and order the update at any later time.

Updates can definitely be applied to preinstalled maps as well as DVD versions."(Although, if I read some of the fine print on their site, there are exceptions to this :!: :roll: - which are not pointed out in the reply. But the answer does apply to the map in question.)